Pyrgotis plagiatana
| Pyrgotis plagiatana | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Tortricidae |
| Genus: | Pyrgotis |
| Species: | P. plagiatana |
| Binomial name | |
| Pyrgotis plagiatana | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Pyrgotis plagiatana is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae.[3] This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1863. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North, South and Stewart Islands, Big South Cape, Auckland and Campbell Islands and possibly in the Snares. This species inhabits native scrub and forest in coastal to subalpine habitats. Larvae are hosted by a wide variety of plants and feed from a shelter formed from a loose gallery of silk placed between host plant leaves. The larvae pupate within this shelter. The adult moth is extremely variable in appearance and is most commonly observed on the wing from September until June.
Taxonomy
This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1863 and originally named Conchylis plagiatana.[4] Walker, in the same publication, thinking he was describing new species, also named this species Conchylis recusana and Paedisca luciplagana.[5][6] In 1875 Cajetan von Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer, also thinking they were describing new species, named this species Grapholitha punana and Grapholitha xylinana.[7] All these names were synonymised by Edward Meyrick in 1881.[8] In 1901 Meyrick, again believing he was describing a new species, named this species Adoxophyes trichroa.[9] This name was synonymised by John S. Dugdale in 1971.[2] Meyrick made the same error in 1907 naming the species Pyrgotis tornota.[10] He corrected this error and synonymised this name in 1914.[11] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name Capua plagiatana in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[12] In 1956 John Tenison Salmon and John David Bradley, again thinking they were describing a new species, named this moth Epagoge parallela.[13] This name was synonymised by Dugdale in 1971.[2] In that publication Dugdale redescribed this species and confirmed its placement in the genus Pyrgotis.[2] The male holotype specimen, collected in Nelson by T. R. Oxley, is held in the Natural History Museum, London.[14]
Description
Hudson described the larva of this moth as:
... moderately stout, cylindrical, slightly tapering at each end; pale whitish-grey-greenish, becoming darker smoky grey on the back; the head and plate of the second segment, when young is black, when full-grown greenish-ochreous.[12]
The pupa is enclosed in a thin silken cocoon placed in the joined leaves of its larval host.[12]
The wingspan of the adults of this moth is about 18 mm.[15] Hudson described the species as follows:
The forewings are triangular with the apex acuile and the termen rather curved and oblique; creamy-white with bright yellowish-brown or pinkish-brown markings variable in intensity; there is a faint basal shading; a short dark brown mark on the dorsum; a conspicuous dark band from 1⁄3 of costa to 2⁄3 of dorsum meeting another band from 3⁄4 of costa to 2⁄3 of dorsum, the two forming a V-shaped marking and enclosing a more or less triangular whitish area, often very conspicuous; a large oval patch above the tornus; the cilia are the same colour as the dark markings. The hind-wings are white, sometimes tinged with ochreous at the tip, and more or less dappled with grey; the cilia are white.[12]
Hudson pointed out that this is a very variable species, differing in the intensity of colouring and markings. Hudson illustrated many of the variations of this species.[12][2] Dugdale explained that the more exposed the locality inhabited by this species, the greater the tendency for the wings of this moth to become narrower in relation to body length.[2]
Distribution
P. plagiatana is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North, South and Stewart Islands, Big South Cape, Auckland and Campbell Islands and possibly in the Snares.[3][2]
Behaviour
Larvae form a shelter consisting of a loose gallery of silk between host plant leaves and proceed to gnaw numerous holes in host plant leaves.[12] Larvae are most common in April although Hudson stated he had bred a female in June.[12] Adults are most commonly observed on the wing during the months of September until June but can be observed all year round.[12][16] Adults are nocturnal and are attracted to light.[16][17] When at rest the adult holds its wings in a wedge shape.[18]
Habitat and host species
This species is found in coastal to subalpine habitats and adults frequents openings in native scrub or forest.[2][12] On the mainland this species is absent at altitudes above the forest edge.[2]
The larvae are polyphagous and are arboreal in nature.[19][2] Larval hosts include Carmichaelia species, Coriaria arborea, Fuchsia excorticata, Veronica elliptica, Veronica stricta, Veronica subalpina, Melicope simplex, Metrosideros species, Ozothamnus leptophyllus, Pittosporum tenuifolium, Tupeia antarctica, Pinus radiata and Ulex europaeus.[20]
Illustrations of differing forms of the species
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References
- ↑ "Pyrgotis species". www.tortricidae.com. Tortricid.net. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Dugdale, J. S. (10 November 1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae". Pacific Insects Monographs. 27: 166. ISSN 0078-7515. Wikidata Q64006453.
- 1 2 "Pyrgotis plagiatana (Walker, 1863)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ↑ Francis Walker (1863), List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, Part XXVIII. - Tortricites and Tineites, London, p. 370, Wikidata Q109352878
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) BHL page 51897831 - ↑ Francis Walker (1863), List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, Part XXVIII. - Tortricites and Tineites, London, p. 371, Wikidata Q109352878
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) BHL page 51897832 - ↑ Francis Walker (1863), List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, Part XXVIII. - Tortricites and Tineites, London, p. 381, Wikidata Q109352878
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) BHL page 51897842 - ↑ Felder, Cajetan; Rogenhofer, Alois Friedrich (1864–1867). "Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara". Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 Unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. Von W (in German). pt.9:Bd.2:Abt.2 (1864–1867) Atlas: Plate CXXXVII fig 43 & fig 44 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ↑ Edward Meyrick (1881). "Descriptions of Australian Microlepidoptera. V. Tortricina". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales (in English and English). 6: 441–442. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.11873. ISSN 0370-047X. Wikidata Q133247581. BHL page 3344543
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - ↑ Edward Meyrick (December 1901). "XVII. Descriptions of New Lepidoptera from New Zealand". Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London. 49 (4): 578. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.1901.tb01373.x. ISSN 0035-8894. Wikidata Q56158899. BHL page 41672559
- ↑ Edward Meyrick (June 1907). "Notes and descriptions of Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 39: 114. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110404133. BHL page 9975199
- ↑ Edward Meyrick (1914). "Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 46: 104. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q98606535. BHL page 3297202
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 222, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286 BHL page 61899833 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ↑ Salmon, J.T.; Bradley, J. D. (1956). "Lepidoptera from the Cape Expedition and Antipodes Islands". Records of the Dominion Museum. 3 (1): 72. ISSN 0373-7233. Wikidata Q107609082.
- ↑ Dugdale , J. S. (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 127. doi:10.7931/j2/fnz.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
- ↑ Meyrick, E. (1906). "Notes and Descriptions on Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 39: 106–121 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- 1 2 Carey Knox (2024). Butterflies & Moths of Aotearoa New Zealand. John Beaufoy Publishing. p. 140. ISBN 978-1-913679-66-8. Wikidata Q130640046.
- ↑ B. H. Patrick; R. D. Archibald (January 1988). "Lepidoptera light-trapped at Owaka, South Otago". New Zealand Entomologist. 11 (1): 70–72. doi:10.1080/00779962.1988.9722541. ISSN 0077-9962. Wikidata Q105740584.
- ↑ Andrew Crowe (2017). Which New Zealand insect?. Auckland: Penguin Books. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-14-100636-9. LCCN 2003386434. OCLC 52477325. OL 3731007M. Wikidata Q105622564.
- ↑ "Pyrgotis plagiatana (Walker, 1863) (Herbivore)". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
- ↑ Davidson MM, Howlett BG (June 2010). Hedging our bets: choosing hedgerow plants to enhance beneficial insects to optimise crop pollination and pest management on Canterbury farms (PDF) (Report). The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-04-13. Retrieved 16 January 2017.